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Monday, January 02, 2012

Poets On The Coast: A Writing Retreat for Women is Happening in 2012!

On of my favorite photos from the retreat (Sylvia Beach & James Joyce on the wall behind us)

Welcome to 2012.

I'm writing to you on the last day of winter break after a snowfall of endings and beginnings. I'm thinking about my year ahead and how I will make time for myself as a writer. Last year, I did quite a few projects that promoted others' work. It was incredibly fulfilling, but I found it left me with this huge desire to work on my own writing this year.

So I've been thinking about how I will take time for myself this year. I have one residency planned in the spring, but am also looking for other new things to spark new work.

~

One thing I will be doing again with Susan Rich that I hope will spark new work for others is Poets on the Coast: A Writing Retreat for Women, Sept 7-9, 2012.

We are excited that we have already filled about 1/3 of the spots in just a week of announcing it (and it was a pre-announcement, the official registration started yesterday!)

If you're interested in attending (it's on the Oregon Coast near Cannon Beach) at the most incredible literary hotel ever-- The Sylvia Beach Hotel-- where every room is decorated for an author, you should probably sign up for this year, as I can't guarantee this will happen again in 2013. We may take a break from it next year, this year, we returned because we had such an incredible time and were asked to keep it going one more year.

Also, I will not be staying in the Emily Dickinson Room this year, so that room is up for grabs along with the Jane Austen room! This year I will be sleeping with Mark Twain (I know, that sounds bizarre, but it is true.)

Of course, if you're local in Oregon, you can commute in, but most of the guests have chosen to stay at the hotel or close by. The Sylvia Beach Hotel prices are very reasonable and include the most delicious breakfast & an inspiring author's room.

What I loved about this retreat was how kind the women who joined us were. We had brand-spankin' new poets to poets who have written books.

This year will have a lot more longer writing times and a Master Class Poetry Workshop each day where you can share your poems and receive feedback on them (if you choose, there's also a writing session that will happen at the same time as the Master Class). Susan and I also do one-on-one time with each of the women poets were we look at your work or talk about whatever you want to talk about--this was probably one of my favorite parts of the retreat.

So if you're a woman poet, writer or interested in becoming more of a writer in your life, you can find out more about the retreat here on the website, there's a Frequently Asked Questions sheet and you can also register online. (Oh and prices go up on Valentine's day, so we have the lowest price right now until then.)